Visa-Free Travel Pact Between Kazakhstan & China Takes Effect
Last Updated on November 14, 2023 12:57 pm
The agreement on visa-free travel between Kazakhstan and China became officially effective on November 10.
The agreement signed in May this year permits citizens of both countries to travel to each other’s territories for tourism, business or medical treatment purposes without being obliged to hold a visa at first, VisaGuide.World reports.
It grants visa-free access for nationals from Kazakhstan and China for a period of up to 30 days.
“The visa-free stay for citizens is capped at 30 calendar days from the moment of crossing the state border with a cumulative total of 90 calendar days within 180 days.” Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Through a statement, the Ministry emphasized that the visa-free agreement does not give permission for study, work, or missionary work purposes, noting that those who exceed 30 days, must obtain an entry visa of the appropriate category in advance.
According to the Ministry, the new deal does not extend to visits to administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Managing Director of Kazakh Tourism national company Daniel Serzhanuly expressed his hopes that the agreement would help the improvement of the tourism sector leading to an increase in the number of tourists in both territories, according to the Astana News report.
He highlighted the importance of China as a primary tourism market for Kazakhstan, stressing that in 2019, before the spread of the coronavirus and its new variants, the country welcomed 90,0000 tourists from China, expressing his hopes that the number is expected to surpass the pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year.
The Managing Director of Kazakh Tourism National Company said that at present, five airlines operate nearly 20 weekly flights connecting several cities in Kazakhstan to a total of six destinations in China.
Serzhanuly said that there is a significant surge in the number of visitors traveling to Kazakhstan from China this year compared to the figures from the previous year. He noted that last year, nearly 45,000 tourists from China stayed in hotels in Kazakhstan, thus generating nearly $16 million in total revenue or twice the amount registered in 2021.